Lighting for a kitchen: how many ceiling mount CFL fixtures?

Hi---I'm trying to figure out how many ceiling mount fixtures we need to get adequate light in our 13' x 18' kitchen, and wondered if anyone had any thoughts/experience with this.

We're using semi-flush mount schoolhouse style fixtures, and can choose from fixtures that take 100W or 150W. All will by GU24 (so they will actually use roughly equivalent CFL bulbs). This is for general lighting only---we'll have separate task lighting over stove, eating, and sink areas. basically, these are the lights we'll flip on when we come into the room, and should provide general lighting for the entire space. The room is well-lit by natural light during the day, so these would only be used at night.

One formula I've found online suggests that we need 351W; others that calculate lumens (which seems more useful) are all over the board, from 35 to 75 per square foot. So based on this, we might need anywhere from three lights to seven...!!

Would love to hear about people's actual experience with general lighting---are we safe using three ceiling fixtures that would each take a 150W equivalent CFL spaced equally across the length of the room, or is that going to be too skimpy? Trying to avoid cans if at all possible. Right now the room is lit very nicely by one round fluorescent fixture in the center, but I have no idea what its specs are.

A typical old fashioned Circline fluorescent fixture with 22 and 32 watt T9 lamps will produce something close to 4000 lumens. Match that, and you should have general illumination roughly equivalent to what you have now. You might have to better it some, though, as the fixtures' globes will absorb some of the light.

A 23-27 watt CF retrofit will produce 1600-1900 lumens. Three of them will produce about 35% more light than you have now. I'd think that, even with globes, three fixtures with 23-27 watt CFs would be ample.